title: Effect of local nasal immunotherapy on nasal blockage in pollen-induced allergic rhinitis of Guinea pigs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As a non-injection route for immunotherapy, local nasal immunotherapy has been examined in allergic rhinitis patients. However, it is unclear how the immunotherapy affects sneezing, biphasic nasal blockage and nasal hyperresponsiveness. Thus, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of nasal immunotherapy on the symptoms of guinea pig allergic rhinitis. Additionally, we also evaluated whether the immunotherapy relieved pollen-induced allergic conjunctivitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sensitized animals were repeatedly challenged by pollen inhalation once every week. After the 7th challenge, the pollen extract was intranasally administered 6 times a week until the 30th challenge. Sneezing frequency was counted after each of the challenges. As an indicator of nasal blockage, changes in specific airway resistance were measured. Nasal hyperresponsiveness was assessed by measuring leukotriene D(4)-induced nasal blockage. Additionally, during the immunotherapy, we applied pollen onto the ocular surface to induce the allergic conjunctivitis symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the 11th-30th challenges, the nasal immunotherapy showed inhibition or a tendency to inhibit the biphasic nasal blockage although the inhibitions were variable at respective challenges. The development of nasal hyperresponsiveness was markedly suppressed by the immunotherapy. Nevertheless, neither sneezing nor antigen-specific IgE antibody production was substantially influenced by the immunotherapy. On the other hand, the nasal immunotherapy did not affect the induction of allergic conjunctivitis symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Local nasal immunotherapy may be clinically useful for allergic nasal blockage associated with nasal hyperresponsiveness. The mechanisms responsible for this effectiveness might not be related to IgE production. Additionally, the effectiveness for nasal tissue was dissociated from that seen for the ocular tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Division of Pathological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan. nabe@mb.kyoto-phu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nabe
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Shigekatsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kohno
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000276:immunology; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D032485:Cryptomeria; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000939:Epitopes; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D012912:Sneezing
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; C065290:Cry j I protein, Cryptomeria japonica; C065291:Cry j II protein, Cryptomeria japonica; D000939:Epitopes; D010940:Plant Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E